Salem is my twin sister. She loved me. She protected me. She forgave me, even after I failed her. I just got her back after searching for three long, lonely years.

Then there’s Clay. Sweet yet intense and nursing a dark past of his own, he’s all the redemption I don’t deserve. He wants to open me up and know the insides of my soul. I want to let him, but I’m scared he’ll run from what he finds.

But I can’t have them both.

My name is Aria. And today, I must choose. One of the two people I love has to die.

In moments like these, everything slowed. Salem always joked that it was life’s way of making sure you didn’t miss the turning points, the important bits. As if gravity sank heavier and heavier with the weight of the moment until the world was too heavy to turn and everyone held their breath.

It certainly felt like that now. My next action, my next word, would change all of our lives.
“Aria,” Clay’s deep voice reached my ears. “Whatever happens…I love you.” The usual assuredness and authority was gone. Instead, strain and hurt had crumpled up and shoved into his throat. Choose me. Save me. Love me.

Before him my life had felt like a stack of old movies; frames missing or out of order, muted crackling sound, flickering and shuttering away, unloved and unseen in an old unused cinema.

Then I found him. Or he found me.

He created a warm shield around me where I could be safe. He coaxed away all my layers and shed all my masks and his love soaked right into my skin, right into the very soul of me. He pulled out the fossil buried inside that had been my heart and breathed life into me.

How could I give up the man I loved? The one who loved me with a fierce and unwavering passion, the man who made me feel like I could defeat demons as long as he was by my side.

Winking in the threads of sunlight piercing through the solemn gray clouds, seed fluff twirled about me like swirling, dancing couples. Spinning around like Salem and I used to do in our backyard, hands clasped together tightly, turning round and round, eyes to the sky, our twin voices giggling and floating into the air like dandelions.
She had been my shield before Clay.

How could I end her? I just got her back. For so long we shared almost everything, and she protected me. Her whole life had been about protecting me. Because she loved me that much.

How could I turn against her, toss her away like an old broken toy?
But I had to choose.

I could see us now, the three of us making a chain like when I was a kid, folding pieces of colored paper into rectangles, cutting out an arm, a leg, and half a head, and unfurling my new patterns in the light to reveal a line of paper dolls. Clay, Salem and I − we were all just paper dolls in a paper chain, me in the middle, each end pulling tighter and tighter until something had to tear.

Even now as I stare between Clay and Salem, trying to digest our impossible situation, Hope is still there, that terrible pixie, fluttering on my shoulder, whispering.

Maybe it doesn’t have to end this way?

Fuck you, Hope. Here’s the truth.

Nobody is coming.

No one will save us.

And someone isn’t going to make it out of this forest today.

“Choose,” my sister screamed. “It’s either him or me.”

My fingers tightened around my gun in a reflex. This was it. I either ended her. Or destroyed Clay.

I squeezed my eyelids shut for a moment, just for a moment of peace. Just for an instant I could shut out the inevitable, and in this blessed darkness I believed I could conceive a way that both could exist in my life. A way that I could choose Salem and Clay.

You can’t have both.

You tried.

You.

Can’t.
Have.

Both.

Choose now.

But how?

What do you do when someone puts a gun to your head? Clay’s words came back to me, echoing as loud in my mind as if he had just spoken them. You refuse to bend. You push back. You find another way. You take that gun off him and put it back in his face. But you do not give in.

Find another way…

I knew what I had to do. A kind of peace settled on my skin, as delicate as gossamer, as light as silk.

I opened my eyes to a world of bright light until my vision adjusted. The torn and pained faces of the two people I loved came into focus. The only two people I’ve shared air with while we slept, the same two people I’d crawl into Hell to be with, and the only two people I would die for. I forced the ghost of a smile forward.

And turned the gun on myself.

There is a giveaway for signed paperbacks, Amazon gift cards and a Coach wristlet

Hanna is the bestselling author of the Bound romantic suspense series and the Dark Angel fantasy series. Although she writes in more than one genre she can’t write a book without weaving together a complicated plot and filling it with twists. She writes what she believes: good people can do bad things, ordinary people can do great things, and choose love above everything.

Eternally restless, Hanna has lived in Indonesia, Australia, Germany, Scotland, England, Croatia and Ireland – everything she owns fits into one suitcase. She’s planning her next move with her gorgeous (and understanding) partner right now. If not writing, she can be found wandering a dusty market in Marrakesh or trekking a mountain in Peru, often using her travels as settings in her novels.

I’m a yes girl. Get your mind out of the gutter; I’m not talking about sex. I’m talking about saying yes to whatever comes my way in life. So when I had the chance to move to Europe after college, I said, yes. When I had the chance to open my own lingerie line, I said, yes. And when my stepsister got diagnosed with cancer and needed me to come home and help her raise her daughter, I said, yes. That’s me, Kenzie — the yes girl! In every area of my life but one —Love. Always the first to leave a relationship. Will I be able to say yes to love — to Kane — to being happy? Or will I simply come undone and be stripped raw?

Kane

Don’t let Kenzie fool you! She’s a master at hiding behind a laugh and a smile. Being an attorney, I prefer the facts. This story isn’t as light and happy as my yes girl would have you believe. No laugh can sugar coat what we are facing: I’ve lost everything. I know what it’s like to be left raw. But sometimes that’s the only way to find love. To strip yourself down, let the other person see all your shit, and hope they love you anyway.

“I’m the good girl, very responsible, girl-next-door type.”

Should I tell her I took the virginity of the girl next door? Probably not. “I think you’re more than that,” I say, taking a step closer to her. That wasn’t a line. I really mean it. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think so.

I inch even closer, but she looks confused — a little like she wants me to kiss her, a little like she wants me to screw her, but mostly like she doesn’t want me to do anything more. I can’t blame her; we only met a few hours ago. Deacon is wrong about the one night stand thing. This woman isn’t looking for a hookup. I’m not, either. One night with her wouldn’t be enough. So I take a step back, my fists clenched at my sides to redirect my energy.

“That was my first catalog,” Kenzie says. “I plan on doing two a year.” She reaches for a sketchbook on her work table. “This is what I’m working on for the next line. I’ll be photographing them pretty soon. The line is inspired by men’s clothing, so pinstripes and. . . .”

She keeps talking about the different fabrics, colors, and textures she plans to use. I have no idea what she is saying, but marvel over what I’m seeing — corsets and bustiers, vests with garter belts, bras, and G-strings. I love that these ideas, these fantasies, came out of her mind. She is so much more than she thinks, so much more than the girl next door.

Kenzie flips to another sketch, this one of a navy bra and panty set with stockings and heels. That will look perfect on her — especially bent over my office desk. My cock throbbing, I take a deep breath and try to focus on what Kenzie is saying. My eyes search the catalog pages for anything to distract me. “What’s this?”

“Cuffs,” she says, “like on a man’s dress shirt. But these double as handcuffs.”

Okay, that’s it. The arts-and-crafts show is officially driving me crazy. My dick is rock hard now, and I can’t take it anymore.

Book Review ~ ‘Stripped Raw’ by Prescott Lane ~ 5 Stars!

How gorgeous this book is!

Prescott Lane always delivers with emotional, hard-hitting stories, but in ‘Stripped Raw’ she tears you apart and fixes you back together again with a story that is driven by some fantastic primary and secondary characters and woven together in the most beautiful way.

It’s hard to describe this story without giving away the plot, but it really is something you need to experience for yourself. Themes such as loss, love and strength all feature heavily and I learnt so much about myself from reading this book, which is something that I love when I encounter in fiction.

Kenzie was a fantastic main character. Strong, loyal, but scared of losing herself in love, she is the main driving force of this book and through her eyes I began to see the world in a new way. Her devotion to her sister and niece was heartwarming and seeing the strong bond the family unit shared brought tears to my eyes, particularly as her sister battles cancer.

Kane was one swoon-worthy hero for this story. Prescott Lane nailed down his character to perfection, and the chemistry that he and Kenzie shared was off the charts, which made for some wide-eyed moments and laughs throughout the chapters as they banter away. His strength, even after being badly hurt in the past was commendable and I witnessing how he and Kenzie worked together to heal each other and grow.

Prescott Lane is the author of First Position, Perfectly Broken, and her new release, Quiet Angel. She is originally from Little Rock, Arkansas, and graduated from Centenary College with a degree in sociology. She went on to receive her MSW from Tulane University, after which she worked with developmentally delayed and disabled children. She married her college sweetheart, and they currently live in New Orleans with their two children and two crazy dogs. Prescott started writing at the age of five, and sold her first story about a talking turtle to her father for a quarter. She later turned to writing romance novels because there aren’t enough happily ever afters in real life.

Drake Blackwell is successful, controlling, and hiding a violent family past. He just made his latest investment: Noriko.

Imported from Japan and wed to a stranger, Noriko struggles to stick to the rules of a Good Wife. Drake can’t seem to love her, not the way she wants to be loved. She dreams of freedom beyond the gates of Blackwell Manor.

She meets Keir, a passionate young gardener who shares her desire to break free. He gets under her skin and ignites a fire in her she can’t ignore. In the midst of her quiet desperation she thinks she has found happiness. And a glimpse of hope.

But this affair can’t last…can it?

There is a darkness lingering, but not how you’d expect. There are monsters, but not as you usually know them. The truth is, in this story, no one is completely innocent. And it’s always darkest before the dawn.

I am Drake Blackwell. Some call me a monster, a wicked husband, a terrible son. It’s so easy to vilify me, isn’t it?

But I’m not the cheater. I’m not the wife stealer.

Noriko was mine. She was my wife. I could have made her happy if it just wasn’t for him. That gardener boy will have his chance to tell you his side of the story.

Here’s the truth.

Keir

What if…

Noriko and I.

You already know our story. So you know how it ends. I’m sorry. Some things are irreversible.

But others things, things like dreams for example, are not. Dreams are fluid as water, as changeable as the memory of the dreamer. Perhaps, then, I may be given license to re-tell our story the way I dreamed it. The way it should have been…

This is Girl Wife Prisoner told from Keir and Drake’s alternative perspectives. Please finish Girl Wife Prisoner before reading this book as it contains spoilers.

WARNING: This is not your typical romance. For ages 18+. There are scenes in this novel that infer or allude to physical violence.

Drake

Noriko.

That was her name.

And now she was Noriko Blackwell. She was my Riko. My wife.

She was waiting for me beyond this door. I lifted my fist to knock and found I had to clear a tiny knot in my throat. Was I…nervous?

Ridiculous. Mr. Blackwell, CEO of Blackwell Industries, did not get nervous. I smoothed down my freshly washed hair and knocked.

I opened her door, stepped inside her bedroom and faced her fully to take in my first look at my wife.

She stood across the room, her fragile body precarious in a pair of towering heels, a black dress that hugged her tiny waist and skimmed over her slim hips. Her dark long hair framed her sweet face, her lashes cast down, her lips a natural pink.

“Noriko.”

“Mr. Blackwell,” she said, her voice as soft as falling snow.

“Please, call me Drake. Are they all treating you well?”

“Very well.”

“Good. Very good. Do you like it here?”

“I do, sir.”

Sir. She spoke to me like I was her teacher. “Noriko, you’re my wife. Call me Drake.”

“Yes, sir, I mean, Drake.”

“Come closer.”

She took several wobbly steps towards me, stopping just past halfway across the room. Not nearly close enough. I closed the gap between us in two strides, causing her to gasp.

Her onyx eyes, wide and pointed at the corners reminding me of a cat’s, caught my gaze before darting away to stare at the ground. Her mouth was a tightly closed rosebud and a pale pink color. She didn’t have any lipstick on. In fact, she was barely wearing any makeup, just a touch of mascara darkening her lashes. A natural beauty if I ever saw one. “You’re even more beautiful in real life.”

“Thank you.”

I lifted my finger to her cheek to feel her skin. Damn. She was softer than anything I had ever touched. A blush deepened under her pale skin. Was she this soft everywhere else? I traced down her neck and to her shoulder where I flicked off one shoulder strap, then the other.

Time to see exactly what I had acquired.

“Turn around.”

She obeyed. She smelled fresh, uncluttered by expensive perfumes that women usually wore like a cloud around them. Just a hint of coconut. Her shampoo, perhaps. I wanted to press my nose into her hair to make sure. But I restrained myself. I didn’t want to scare her any more than necessary.

I brushed her locks aside to access the opening of her dress. My cock hardened at the sound her zipper made as I drew it down. When I let go her dress dropped obediently to the floor.

~~~~~*****~~~~~

Keir

“What?” she said, her voice curt and forced. “No veiled insult, no smirk or scowl for me?”

Her words stung me like a slap on the face. She was angry at me and I deserved it.

But she hadn’t let go of me. I stared down at our fingers laced together, such a contrast to her voice.

She was trying to push me away. She was doing what I had been trying to do these last few days. Why would she do that unless…

I looked back up to her. Our faces were so close that I could just make out where her dark pupils turn into irises. She was so lovely, like a painting that God did by hand. She was too lovely for me. Too lovely.

“Noriko, if I ever say anything to try to repulse you it’s only because…I’m scared of you.”

“Scared of me?”

“Yes.” My heart accelerated and my chest tightened. Now that I had started admitting things to her, I couldn’t stop. I couldn’t even think of stopping. I just felt. “Scared of how you make me feel things that I know I shouldn’t feel.” I wanted to kiss her perfect petal lips. I wanted to take them into my mouth and suck them softly. Would she like it? Would she moan for me? I moved closer to her, drawn by something more powerful than I could resist. She didn’t pull away. “And you make me want to do…things I shouldn’t do.”

Oh Drake, how misunderstood you are, how desperate for love, but so incapable of understanding how to give it. I was so excited to read Drake’s story as to me, despite everything, he is the most tragic character in this series. We see so many sides of him; the controlling, emotionally abusive husband; the man looking for a trophy wife; the employer with no redeeming qualities; a ruthless business man; and then finally, right at the last moment; a real man, who loves with his whole damaged heart, but has no idea of how to treat someone he cares for. It is heartbreaking, and so, so well done that I had tears in my eyes seeing his side of the story. We wonder what would have happened if Keir hadn’t worked at the house, if Niko and Drake could have worked out together how their marriage should work, and how he may have approached things differently if he had ever seen a relationship based on love and trust.

And then we have Keir, Keir who I love so much, who knows how to behave in love, knows what love means, and wants to be with someone, and not be the owner of them. It is the difference between Drake and Keir’s understanding that is so striking. Love for Drake is something he associates with possession, whereas Keir sees is as freedom. Keir and Noriko’s story was one that tugged on the heartstrings, and had me angry, raging, but so satisfied, as everything ended the only way it could. But in Keir’s novella we have our heart healed just a little. We see Keir’s own experience of falling in love with Noriko, we get to see the utter strength it takes for him to let his guard down, and how right the two are for each other in a whole new way. It is short, but it packs a punch, and it gives you hope that there is love after death, and maybe, just maybe your loved ones can watch over you and wish a bright future for you.

Hanna is the bestselling author of the Bound romantic suspense series and the Dark Angel fantasy series. Although she writes in more than one genre she can’t write a book without weaving together a complicated plot and filling it with twists. She writes what she believes: good people can do bad things, ordinary people can do great things, and choose love above everything.

Eternally restless, Hanna has lived in Indonesia, Australia, Germany, Scotland, England, Croatia and Ireland – everything she owns fits into one suitcase. She’s planning her next move with her gorgeous (and understanding) partner right now.

If not writing, she can be found wandering a dusty market in Marrakesh or trekking a mountain in Peru, often using her travels as settings in her novels.

When I was a little boy, the best thing about the holiday season was unwrapping presents on Christmas morning — tearing off the paper and tossing it on the floor. Now that I’m a man, I like to unwrap slowly, deliberately, taking my time to savor what lies before me. I still like to throw the wrapping on the floor, but now I know the best gifts come wrapped in lace.

And unlike when I was a kid, I won’t get sick of this present by New Year’s. I’ll definitely be playing with this girl day after day after day.

After six years avoiding my hometown, the last thing I expected when I returned was a wannabe bad girl to unwrap my heart and rip open my soul. But that’s exactly what happened. Now if I can just get the hell out of my own way, maybe I’ll finally get the best gift of all — her!

Come get unwrapped by Drew this holiday.

I sat back and studied the canvas. I’d finally gotten it right — the way his lips turn up in that smile that makes both my heart and panties melt. It had taken me over a dozen tries to get it just perfect, but I finally had. Unfortunately, I didn’t feel any better. I thought if I could capture Drew’s smile on my canvas, my pain would somehow lessen. Because I’d always have his image, that his leaving me wouldn’t hurt so bad. It hadn’t worked. The pain in my heart was just as sharp, just as overwhelming as it was yesterday and the day before. I knew I’d never get over him. I knew it like I knew the deep blue color of his eyes, the rough spots on his hands. I knew it like I knew the way his lips tasted, the feel of his thick brown hair.

Prescott Lane is the author of First Position, Perfectly Broken, and her new release, Quiet Angel. She is originally from Little Rock, Arkansas, and graduated from Centenary College with a degree in sociology. She went on to receive her MSW from Tulane University, after which she worked with developmentally delayed and disabled children. She married her college sweetheart, and they currently live in New Orleans with their two children and two crazy dogs. Prescott started writing at the age of five, and sold her first story about a talking turtle to her father for a quarter. She later turned to writing romance novels because there aren’t enough happily ever afters in real life.

In a powerful romance for fans of The Fault in Our Stars and If I Stay, New York Times bestselling author A. Meredith Walters tells the story of a troubled young woman and the unforgettable guy who teaches her to live—and love—to the fullest.

She’s waiting to die. . . . Corin Thompson is paralyzed by her obsession with mortality. Having lost both of her parents, she is terrified by the idea that she too will die young, and she loses control at any sign of illness. But when Corin connects with someone who has survived a very real brush with death, she begins to see the world in a whole new way.

He’s learning to live. . . . As Corin struggles under the weight of her neuroses, Beckett Kingsley is attempting to rebuild a life that feels all too temporary. With the ever-present threat of heart failure never far from his mind, he just wants to make the most of whatever time he has left. And that means pursuing the girl he never expected to find.

Together, Corin and Beckett finally learn to let go of their fears and take solace in everyday pleasures. Who knows what the future holds? After all, nothing lasts forever—the only promise they have is right now.

Book Review ~ ‘Butterfly Dreams’ by A. Meredith Walters ~ 5 Stars!

How beautifully heartfelt and wonderful this book was! I’m a huge fan of A. Meredith Walters, so with each new book I read by her, I always start with a slither of doubt. What if this book isn’t as amazing as her others? But I needn’t have feared, as although ‘Butterfly Dreams’ was unique and different as they all are, it was as gorgeous as I hoped it would be.

Corin was a heroine that I think many people will identify with. She is controlled by fear, like many of us are, but on a level that we may not know exists. Corin is brave in her own way, even in her moments of weakness. She is confronted with the expectation of death everyday, and to have lived her life through such a debilitating mental illness shows just how strong she is to have come so far. The psychological elements of this book were written to perfection. I loved the descriptions of Corin’s anxiety being like butterflies, only ones that consume her whole being, rather than those that give a warm feeling. Her thought processes were so intriguing and I really loved getting the nitty gritty of her illness and learning alongside her, what caused it and how she could overcome it.

Beckett was the best hero for Corin. His development throughout the novel was one that was intrinsicly linked with Corin’s. With every move he made to come to terms with his heart condition, he helped Corin come to terms with her fear of dying, and of living life to the full. It was a heartbreaking, yet warming relationship, that bought tears to my eyes on more than one occasion.

This is a beautiful work of art, written in a style that is both contemporary and hypnotic. I finished ‘Butterfly Dreams’ in one sitting, because it didn’t even occur to me to put it down. I was engrossed and I had the journey of a lifetime.

Drake Blackwell is successful, controlling, and hiding a violent family past. He just made his latest investment: Noriko.

Imported from Japan and wed to a stranger, Noriko struggles to stick to the rules of a Good Wife. Drake can’t seem to love her, not the way she wants to be loved. She dreams of freedom beyond the gates of Blackwell Manor.

She meets Keir, a passionate young gardener who shares her desire to break free. He gets under her skin and ignites a fire in her she can’t ignore. In the midst of her quiet desperation she thinks she has found happiness. And a glimpse of hope.

But this affair can’t last…can it?

There is a darkness lingering, but not how you’d expect. There are monsters, but not as you usually know them. The truth is, in this story, no one is completely innocent. And it’s always darkest before the dawn.

Although part of a series, this is a standalone novel with no cliffhanger.

WARNING: For ages 18+. There are scenes in this novel that infer or allude to physical violence.

“Noriko…”

I paused.

“Never mind,” he said.

I turned to face him. “No, it’s something. Say it.”

“I was going to ask you something but…”

“Please, ask. You’ve just done me the most wonderful thing. If there’s anything I can do.”

“This might sound stupid.”

“Try me.”

“Can we, just for a while, pretend that you aren’t you and I’m not me?”

“Who would we be then?”

“Anyone.”

“Anyone?”

“I just need…someone to talk to.”

“And you want to talk to me?”

“Yes. No. I don’t want to talk to Mrs. Riko Blackwell. I want to talk to the girl I found standing in my Japanese garden. The one I found so easy to talk to. I don’t think there’s anyone in the world who might understand me, except for her.”

A. Jenn from I Heart Books told me she thought it was similar (but different) to Insidious by Aleatha Romig. I haven’t read Insidious so I can’t say whether it’s true or not (but it’s now on my TBR list).

Q. What’s next?

A. Paper Dolls, a psychological thriller/love story about a woman who has to choose whether she saves her sister or her boyfriend, is coming out early Jan 2016. Then A Wild & Terrible Love (A Good Wife #2), a tale of wild love and revenge, shortly afterwards.

Hanna is the bestselling author of the Bound romantic suspense series and the Dark Angel fantasy series. Although she writes in more than one genre she can’t write a book without weaving together a complicated plot and filling it with twists. She writes what she believes: good people can do bad things, ordinary people can do great things and choose love above everything.

Eternally restless, Hanna has lived in Indonesia, Australia, Germany, Scotland, England, Croatia and Ireland – everything she owns fits into one suitcase. She’s planning her next move with her gorgeous (and understanding) partner right now. If not writing, she can be found wandering a dusty market in Marrakesh or trekking a mountain in Peru, often using her travels as settings in her novels.

I lived for each time I could see her, and nothing else mattered, not that our families were enemies, our time together was forbidden, or we had to meet in secret.

Our love could conquer all.

Until it didn’t.

So I was ripped away from the love of my life and shoved into hell, forced to continue without her.

It shattered me, broke the best parts of me, left me permanently damaged.
Or so I thought.

Years later, I swear history’s trying to repeat itself because she’s back in my life, and I’m just as drawn to her as I was before. But I’m older and wiser now, and I know she should stay away from a worthless piece of ex-con like me.

So, I will not let her in. I absolutely refuse to hurt her. I will keep her away.

Then again, sometimes risking your greatest fear to get to a smile makes everything worth it, and besides, I’m not sure I can resist her, anyway.

This is the story of how Felicity Bainbridge changed my life forever, starting one summer day long ago after I was forced to change a dirty diaper…

–Knox Parker

BooK Review ~ ‘Worth It’ by Linda Kage ~ 5 Stars!

What to say about ‘Worth It’? I laughed, cried, cheered, raged, smiled and wept. ‘Worth It’ is a beautifully written rollercoaster of emotions, and I loved every second of it.

There are two time-zones in this story and for the first half of the novel we switch from the present day to the summer years before that changed everything for Felicity and Knox. At first I was a little worried about how well this would work, but Linda Kage pulled it off flawlessly. Each change in time was timed perfectly, and I loved the feeling of being in limbo as we were gradually given more and more details about the past, alongside seeing how their lives are evolving in the present time.

Felicity is a heroine that you will root for from the beginning. A little nerdy, good hearted, a good natured normal girl in the midst of an extraordinary one, she behaves with a sensitivity and respect that she definitely didn’t learn from her family. I loved how much her life contrasted with Knox’s, who came from a poor family, who worked hard for everything they got, and who more often than not came out on the wrong side of luck.

This story is a beautiful one. We see the consequences of one summer ricochet through the years until the day that Knox can put it behind him, but with Felicity’s desperation to bring him back to her, his chance at a whole new life is more difficult than he imagined.

This is the fifth book in the ‘Forbidden Men’ series, but can be read as a standalone. I hadn’t read any of the other books in the series, but after finishing this one, I immediately downloaded the first five, to witness first hand the stories of the great secondary characters that helped Knox and Felicity get their happy ending.

5 Stars!

*Review copy was kindly provided through Xpresso Book Tours Review Opportunities in exchange for an honest review*